Jobless rate up to 8% on Long Island
Job seekers at a jobs fair at the North Babylon Public Library in January. Credit: Newsday File, 2010 / Alejandra Villa
Long Island’s unemployment rate jumped to 8 percent in January from 7 percent in December, according to a state report released Wednesday afternoon.
Officials explain that the rate, not seasonally adjusted, often rises in January because of a drop in retail workers after the holiday season.
Despite the rise in the rate, the private sector continues to add jobs but at a tepid pace.
The Island had 5,600 more jobs in January than it did the year before. That compares with 4,600 in the comparable December period and a revised 13,000 in year-over-year numbers for November.
Education and health services picked up 4,200 jobs, while construction, mining and natural resources lost 4,600.
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Photo: People seeking work visit a jobs fair at the North Babylon Public Library in January.
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